Drum weir



' 1933- B. H. KERSTING 1,922,097

DRUM WEIR Filed Nov. 9, 1/952 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Aug. 15, 1933.-

B. H. KERSTING mum yam Filed Nov. 9, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1933- B. H. KERSTING 1,922,097

DRUM WEIR Filed Nov. 9. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR EMA/K I Aug. 15, 19.33; a H KERsTlNG 1,922,097,

DRUM WEIR Filed Nov. 9, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 in "nu v: I II" I! 20. /t9 [7 i A II m ll! mum j l HIT "I "II INVENTOR Aug. 15, 1933- B. H. KERSTING DRUM WE I R Filed Nov. 9, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

INVENTOR Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES DRUM WEIR Bernard H. Kersting, Ben Avon, Pa., assignor to The Dravo Contracting Company, a Corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 9, 1932. Serial No. 641,840

6 Claims. (Cl. 61-22) I This invention relates to improvements in drum weirs and particularly in drum weirs of the type in which the drum is equipped with'a fiap capable of being swung from collapsed to extended position and it consists in the means employed for swinging the flap.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a view in front elevation of a section of a drum weir of the type indicated, installed, as is usual, between two piers of masonry, in which weir the flap-swinging means of my invention are employed. Fig. II is a view to larger scale, showing in cross-section the drum of Fig. I, on the plane indicated at II--II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a view in front elevation illustrating in detail a portion of the organization for swinging the flap of the drum. Fig. IV is a View to larger scale than Fig. I and on the plane indicated at IV-IV, Fig. I. In this figure the drum is shown in full lines in its lowered and active position,

and in dotted lines in its elevated and inactive ing the flap. Figs. VI and VlI are views in end. elevation of the drum, together with diagram-g,

matic indication of the flap-operating tension members; the two figures, otherwise alike, showing the parts in the alternate positions of flap elevation and flap collapse. Figs. VIII .and IX show in side elevation and in plan the motors and winches by which the drum is raised and lowered and the fiapis elevated and collapsed. In Fig. VIII the drum is shown in elevated position and the flap collapsed. Figs. X and XI are fragmentary .views in end and in rear elevation, illustrating a modiflcationin detail of 4 the flap-swinging means.

Referring to Figs. Iand IV, a drum 1 of a sectional drum weir is shown in position between two piers 2. At its ends it extends into recesses 3 in the opposed faces of the two piers. These recesses are elongate and extend in parallelism obliquely to the vertical, and along their extent the drum may be rolled. The drum at its ends (advantageously of enlarged diameter, as shown) is provided with treads 4 and pinions 5 (cf. Fig. V) and along their lower longitudinal sides the recesses 3 are provided with rails 6 and racks 7. With these rails and racks the treads 4- and the pinions 5 make engagement. The drum is raised and lowered by rolling along rails 6. A sprocket chain 8, anchored at 9 to the drum, encircles the drum when in lowered position and extends thence around a sprocketwheel 10 of a winch. As seen in Fig. IV, the chain 8 extends from sprocket wheel 10 to the drum in a line that is tangent to the drum and that meets the drum at the point on theouter or upper side of the drum with respect-to the rail 6; and thence the chain extends, encircling the drum in clockwise direction, to its anchorage 9. The sprocket-wheel is journaled in stationary hearings in one of the piers z-adjacent the upper end of the recess 3 (of. Figs. VIII and IX). A motor 11 drives the sprocket-wheel. As the sprocket-wheel turnswithin an established range, the drum is raised from and lowered to active position. The recesses 3 with their rails 6 constitute guideways for the drum; the drum moves in a plane with which its axis is coincident and in a direction perpendicular to its axis, and as it so moves it rotates.

Upon the drum is mounted the usual swinging flap 12. In Fig. VII; the flap is shown in raised position; in Fig. VII in collapsed position.

The means for raising and lowering the flap include a torsion member arranged within and extending longitudinally'of the drum. Specifically, as here shown, a hollow shaft 13 is axially arranged within the drum. The shaft is equipped with cranks 14, and links 15 connect the flap with the cranks. These parts are so 85 proportioned and arranged that when by the turning of the cranks the flap comes to elevated position the pivot points at the ends of the links come to positions of radial alignment with respect to the axis of turning. This feature is indicated in several of the figures-in Fig. II, for instance.

Upon one end of the shaft 13 (the right-hand end, as viewed in Fig. I) a wheel 16 is rigidly mounted. A winch including a drum' 1'! is mounted in one of the piers 2 adjacent the upper end of the recess 3. Upon this drum 17 two tension members, shown in the form of cables, are oppositely wound. In consequence of this opposite winding, the turning of the winch alternately in opposite directions effects the, alternate winding up of one or the other of the two cables,

of wheel 16; and. it is anchored in the wheel, at

-may be rotated, and that it is a matter of proportioning and adjustment and control, by such means to effect the timely swinging of the flap between raised and collapsed positions. And it will be perceived that, inasmuch as relatively great power is requisite to raise the flap against the current of a flowing stream, while relatively little power is required to collapse the crankand-link connection, the cable 18 is made double with advantage, while the cable 20 is single. The sheave 19 is eflective to adjust the pull and to effect an equalizing of strain upon the two reaches of cable 18. As is manifest and as will presently be indicated, chains may be used, instead of cables. Such a particular arrangement of the cables, with accommodation to disparity in the strains to which they are severally subjected, permits the employment of strands of equal diameter.

These flap-swinging means are operatively independent of the drum raising and lowering means. It follows from this that, when the drum has been brought to lowered position, not only may the flap be raised, itmay be raised to any desired position within its range of swing, and there maintained. And, further, in the lowering of the flap, if, perhaps, under conditions of service, obstruction may have accumulated beneath the flap, say, in the form of ice, the flap may be lowered, so far as the presence of such obstruction permits, and then the drum itself may be raised, even though the flap should not be completely collapsed. And in such drum raising, the flap and the flap-swinging apparatus are not subjected to undue stresses. This characteristic will more fully appear in the further description.

Provision is made that as'the drum israised and lowered the slack of the cables 18 and 20 shall be properly taken care of. To suchend the wheel 16 (which, on that account, is of relatively smaller size) is contained within and is encircled by the drum, and the drum carries integrally a collar 22 (cf. Fig. V) which has an eflective face of equal diameter with the face of tread 4' (which tread also is integrated with drum 1). The drum 1 and the collar 22 are ported, to allow the extension through of cables 18 and 20; and in the port a guiding device is set, in the form of sheaves 23 idle mounted, and around them the cables 18 and 20 are bent, and from 'them they extend in such manner that they encircle the wheel 16 in opposite directions. The cables extend upwardly from sheaves 23 to sheaves 25, which are mounted idly on stationary bearings at the top of the pier and adjacent the winch, and in the reach between sheaves 23 and 25 the cables extend in side-by-side positions.

Comparing Figs. V and VIII, it will be perceived that as the drumis rolled up and down (the flap-swinging winch being at the time at rest) the cables 18 and 20 wrap themselves upon and unwrap themselves from the collar 22; and that, since the collar is of equal effective diameter with the treads 4, and since the cables (equal in diameter) extend in side-by-side positions, the cables are laid down and raised again without access of or disturbance of tension, in consequence of either the raising or the lowering of the drum. Careful consideration of Fig. IV will make plain the fact that in the installation illustrated the drum turns through about three quarters of one complete rotation, in passing from lowered to elevated position. Turning then to Fig. VII (which shows the drum in lowered position), it is to be remarked that the extent of the collar 22 is not less (indeed, it is somewhat more) than three quarters of a circumierence; and that when in that position the cables meet the sheaves 23 on a line which is tangent to the curve of the shell. In consequence, as the drum rises (turning counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. VII), the cables are laid down accurately upon the cylindrical face of the shell.

In Figs. IV, VI, and -VII, the flap-operating cables are shown diagrammatically, diverging from particular points of engagement; This showing is intended merely to indicate the multiplicity of reaches of cable, not divergence in actual positions. Thesefigures all are views in side elevation, and in 'all of them, and in all operating positions of the apparatus, the reaches of cable lie in lines which, from this point of view, are coincident.

The winch-drum 17 is driven by motor 24. It is manifestly possible to drive both the drumraising winch and the flap-swinging winch by one and the same motor, resorting to such reflnements in motor control and in power-transmission apparatus as the art knows.

When the drum is in lowered position (shown in Figs. VI and VII) the flap 12 is in uppermost position, at the crown of drum curvature, and the break in the collar 22 is so situated that the cables 18 and 20 extend in free and direct reaches from idle-turning guide sheaves- 25 at the upper end' of the range of drum travel to tangency upon sheaves23. The parts being in such positions, and the flap being collapsed, as

particularly indicated in Fig. VII, tension ex-' erted upon cable 18 by rotation of drum l'l clockwise (Fig. VIII) will effect clockwise turning of wheel 16 (Fig. VII) and of the shaft 13 upon which the wheel 16 is integrally mounted; clockwise turning of cranks 14; and the swinging of the flap 12 to the raised position illustrated in Fig. VI. This raising of the flap will commonly be effected against the opposing force of the flowing stream (indicated by the arrow 3, Fig. VI), and accordingly the double cable 18 is made strong to transmit the necessary power. As the flap comes to this elevated position, the toggle formed by cranks 14 and links 15 straightens out. Consequently, the flap will stand in elevated position, without the necessity of the continued application of powerto maintain it. When the flap is to be lowered, the force of the flowing stream (if present) is not opposing but is co-operative in its efiect. There is needed but a relatively light pull to collapse the toggle, and this is accomplished by the counter-clockwise turning of wheel 16 in response to the counterclockwise turning of drum 17 (Fig. VIII) and the tension of the single-strand cable 20.

As noted above, by the means described the flap may be raisedfrom collapsed position to any particular point in-its range of swing, and there maintained by the tension of the double cable 18. 1

In the ensuing claims, the term wheel member will be understood to be inclusive of a wheel segment, as well as a complete wheel.

The flap-swinging cables, it will be observed, extend from winch l7 and idler 25 to a point of tangency with the drum and thence encircle the drum in counter-clockwise direction (cf.

Fig. VIII). This engagement with the drum is on the side opposite that of the sprocket chain 8. It follows that nov stretching of chain 8 can be eflec'tive to disturb the proper operation of the flap-swinging cables, nor impose upon them any part of the weight of the drum itself.

When the flap is collapsed, the drum may be raised and lowered, and as the 'drum rolls up and down, the cables 18 and 20 will wrap upon and unwrap from the collar 22; the flap-swinging apparatus will not interfere with the operation of drum raising; and the movement of the drum will have no effect to impose or to change tension upon the flap-swinging cables. As in the course of the rise of the drum the collapsed flap comes to the under side of the drum it cannot swing under gravity to open or to partially open position: the flap-closing cable 20, extending taut upon collar 22 and thence around one of the sheaves 23 and thence to the drum 1'! of the winch, is preventive of such swinging. And if, when the drum is to be raised, the flap should be standing in raised position or in any other position, still the raising of the drum may be effected, and in the raising no prejudicial strains will be exerted upon the flap, or upon the flap-swinging apparatus.

In Fig. VIII 1 show diagrammatically at 80 loops of the slack portion of the sprocket chain 8 accumulated on a rack in usual and wellknown manner.

In Figs. X and XI chains 38 and 40 are shown in substitution for cables, to effect the swinging of the flap. The two chains are united at a and so form one continuous chain. From the union 0. to the point 1) the two strands that constitute the chain 38 are integrated by pins 32. These pins are of length equal to the width of the chain assembly and upon each, links of both chains are pivoted. The portion of the double chain 38 between the points a and b is thus constituted a sprocket chain. In place of a drum 17, the winch in this case is equipped with a sprocket-wheel 37, and with it the soconstitut'edsprocket chain makes engagement.

The wheel in this case is incomplete (as in the over the face of segment 36, and are anchored at 33. The chain 40, extending'from the point a downward, passes around rollers 35 and 23, and

. in contrary direction upon the face of segment 36, and is anchored at 31. In Fig. XI the portion of the double chain below the roller 35 is dotted, merely to indicate that it does not at this point form with the adjacent chain 40 a single tension member. In fact, at this point the two chains move oppositely. The chain 40, in the reach between rollers 35 and 23, lies in the space between the parts of the double chain 38, as will be understood on comparing Figs. X and XI. The segment 36 is so shaped and so particularly placed in the organization that the range of turning necessary to effect the raising and lowering of the flap is the same as it would be, were a complete wheel employed, rather than a segment. As seen in Fig. X, the sprocketwheel 3'7 has turned clockwise and the segment 36 has been rotated clockwise to raise the flap 12. Counter-clockwise turning of the segmentthrough less than half a rotation (cf. Fig. VII) will effect the collapse of the toggle and the closing of the flap. As in the case of the ropes,

already described, all three strands are such in proportions that, extending in side-by-side arrangement between rollers 35 and 23',- they may be wrapped with uniformity and .precision upon the collar 22, as the drum rolls upward.

I claim as my invention: 1. In a 'drum weir, a drum movable in a plan with which its axis is coincident and in a direction perpendicular to its axis, rotating as it moves, means for moving said drum, a movable flap borne by said drum, and flap-swinging means, including a torsion member arranged within the drum and rotatable/independently of thedrum, two flexible tension members oppositely wrapped upon said torsion member, and means for exerting tension alternately and exclusively upon one or the other of the two tension members, the said tension-exerting means being adapted to continue at rest during the rail, a drum, and means for rolling the drum upon the rail, the drum being equipped with a movable flap, and flap-swinging means, such means including .a torsion member extending longitudinally within the drum and being rotatable independently of the drum, a plurality of cranks borne by said torsion member, and links connecting cranks and fiap, a stationary support, a winch mounted upon said support, a plurality of flexible tension members oppositely trained upon the winch and connected to and oppositely wrapped upon said torsion member, the parts so proportioned and arranged that as the drum moves the tension members are wrapped upon and unwrapped from a portion of the a drum surface equal in efiective diameter to the rail-engaging portion thereof.

4. In a drum weir, a drum movable in a plane with which its axis is coincident and in a direction perpendicular to its axis, rotating as it moves, means for moving said drum, a movable flap borne by said drum, a torsion member arranged within the drum and rotatable independently of the drum, and means independent of said drum-moving means for'turning said torsion member, such means including two flexible tension members secured to and oppositely wrapped upon said torsion member, and means for exerting tension alternatelyand exclusively 'upon one or the other of the two tension members; one of the said flexible tension members consisting of a plurality of strands, and the strands of both tension members being of, uniform diameter, the part so proportioned and arranged that in the movement of the drum the strands of the tension members are wrapped side by side upon and unwrapped from the cylindrical surface of the drum.

5. In a drum weir, a drum movable in a plane with which its axis is coincident and in a direction perpendicular to its axis, rotating as it so moves, a movable flap borne by the drum, and

flap-swinging means; said flap-swinging means including a torsion member mounted on said drum and rotatable independently of said drum,

a winch mounted on a support which is stationary, relatively to drum travel, and equipped with a sprocket-wheel, a sprocket chain passing around said sprocket-wheel and at its ends anchored in said torsion member, said sprocket chain being prolonged toward one end in a plurality of spaced-apart strands, whereby, as the drum moves, the two ends of the chain may be wrapped with uniformity upon and unwrapped from the surface of the drum.

6. In a drum weir, a drum movable in a plane with which its axis is coincident, and in a direction perpendicular to its axis, rotating as it so moves, a movable flap borne by said drum,

and nap-swinging means, such means including a torsion member borne by the drum and rotatable independently of the drum, 8. winch mounted on a stationary support, and two flexible tension members wound oppositely upon said winch and adapted alternately to exert tension, as the winch is turned in one direction or the other, the said tension members anchored to and extending oppositely upon said torsion member, one of said tension members consisting of a double strand, and the anchorage for it consisting of a sheave idly mounted in said torsion member, around which sheave the double strand is bent.

BERNARD H. KERS'I'ING. 

